Spirits were high after the last few days of sighting spectacular wildlife, and there was no velocity lost carrying that excitement into today. With three bears spotted before breakfast, guests were asking where Goldilocks was! Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation came on board later in the day to present to us about his organization’s research on the humpbacks of Southeast Alaska. We then cruised South down Chatham Strait into the sunset.
8/1/2019
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National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
